CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 13
THE TRUTH ABOUT CELESTE AND RICHARD
The lighthouse stood at the edge of the Atlantic like a warning.
Its white walls were battered by years of salt and wind.
The ocean below was black beneath the moon.
Ethan parked several hundred yards away.
He had come alone.
At least—
that was what he wanted them to believe.
Inside his coat was the second ledger.
In his pocket was Anna's photograph.
And hidden beneath his shirt was a small recording device.
He had stopped trusting everyone.
His mother.
Jonathan.
Celeste.
Richard.
Even Anna.
Especially Anna.
The lighthouse door was unlocked.
Ethan pushed it open.
The smell of damp stone filled the air.
A staircase spiraled upward.
He took one step.
Then another.
Halfway up, he heard a voice.
"You're late."
Ethan stopped.
Richard stood above him.
His face was bruised.
One arm was wrapped in a bloodstained bandage.
"You came."
Richard nodded.
"She insisted."
"Anna?"
"No."
"Then who?"
Richard looked toward the top of the lighthouse.
"Celeste."
Ethan raised his weapon.
"Where is she?"
"Waiting."
"For me?"
"For all of us."
Richard stepped down.
"You shouldn't have come."
"You said that before."
"This time I mean it."
"Why?"
Richard looked at the ledger.
"Because you've finally found the second book."
Ethan said nothing.
Richard sighed.
"Then you know."
"I know enough."
"No."
Richard's eyes were full of exhaustion.
"You know the version they wanted you to discover."
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"Then tell me the truth."
Richard laughed bitterly.
"The truth is nobody in this family is innocent."
"Except Sophie."
Richard looked away.
"Especially Sophie."
Ethan's expression hardened.
"What does that mean?"
Richard didn't answer.
Instead, he turned toward the stairs.
"Come."
The top room was circular.
A single lamp hung from the ceiling.
Celeste stood beside the window.
She was wearing a black coat.
No jewelry.
No makeup.
For once, she looked ordinary.
Human.
But Ethan knew better.
Anna stood opposite her.
Alive.
Older.
Thin.
Her hair was shorter than Ethan remembered.
But her eyes—
those eyes were the same.
Ethan stopped breathing.
Anna looked at him.
"Ethan."
His entire body wanted to run to her.
Instead, he stayed where he was.
"Don't."
She froze.
"Don't come closer."
Anna nodded.
Tears filled her eyes.
"I understand."
"You lied to me."
"Yes."
"You let me believe you were dead."
"Yes."
"You erased my memories."
"I didn't."
"Jonathan said you did."
Anna looked at Jonathan.
He stood in the shadows.
"Jonathan lied."
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"Then who erased them?"
Anna looked at Celeste.
Celeste answered.
"I did."
Ethan turned.
"You?"
Celeste nodded.
"Three years ago."
"Why?"
"Because you were going to destroy everything."
"What everything?"
"The network."
Ethan laughed bitterly.
"That was supposed to be a good thing."
"It would have killed thousands."
"No."
Celeste stepped closer.
"Your father built a system that kept governments, corporations, judges, and criminals from destroying one another."
"A criminal empire."
"A balance."
"A dictatorship."
"A necessity."
Ethan stared at her.
"You actually believe that."
"I did."
"And now?"
Celeste looked toward Anna.
"Now I know I was wrong."
Ethan frowned.
"Then why are you still here?"
"Because some mistakes cannot be undone."
Richard stepped forward.
"Tell him."
Celeste looked at him.
"You tell him."
Richard shook his head.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because he won't believe me."
Ethan looked between them.
"What am I supposed to believe?"
Richard finally spoke.
"Celeste isn't my mother."
Ethan froze.
"What?"
"My mother died when I was eight."
He looked at Celeste.
"She raised me."
"But she wasn't my mother."
Ethan looked at Celeste.
"Then who is she?"
Richard's face hardened.
"She's my father's sister."
Ethan stared.
"Your aunt."
Richard nodded.
"Celeste Varga."
Celeste looked away.
"I took care of him after his parents died."
"Then why did you call her your mother?"
"Because she told me to."
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
"To control me."
Celeste closed her eyes.
"I thought I was protecting him."
Richard laughed.
"You destroyed me."
"You were a child."
"And you used me."
"I did."
Ethan looked at Richard.
"Why did you hate me?"
Richard's expression changed.
"Because she told me you killed my father."
"I didn't."
"I know."
"When did you find out?"
"Tonight."
Ethan frowned.
"How?"
Richard pulled out a photograph.
He handed it to Ethan.
It showed Gabriel Varga standing beside a car.
Behind him was Ethan.
Or someone who looked exactly like him.
Ethan stared.
"That's not me."
"No."
"Then who?"
Richard looked at Anna.
"Ask her."
Ethan turned.
Anna lowered her eyes.
"His name was Daniel."
Ethan froze.
"Daniel?"
"The man you thought was your twin."
"What happened to him?"
Anna swallowed.
"He was created by your father."
"I know."
"No."
She shook her head.
"You know the story they gave you."
"What is the real story?"
Anna looked at Celeste.
"Tell him."
Celeste shook her head.
"You tell him."
Anna finally spoke.
"Daniel was not your brother."
Ethan stared.
"He was your replacement."
Silence.
"Your father had him trained to become you."
"Why?"
"Because he knew the network would eventually come after you."
"So Daniel was supposed to take my place."
"Yes."
"But why did he hate me?"
"Because he believed you stole his life."
Ethan closed his eyes.
The memories returned.
A boy with his face.
Standing across from him.
"I want to be Ethan."
His father laughing.
"One day you will."
Ethan opened his eyes.
"Where is Daniel?"
Celeste answered.
"Dead."
"Who killed him?"
Silence.
Ethan looked at Anna.
"Who?"
Anna whispered:
"I did."
Ethan's face went pale.
"You?"
"He was going to kill Sophie."
Richard stepped forward.
"Anna had no choice."
Ethan looked at him.
"You defend her?"
"Because I know what happened."
"Then tell me."
Richard took a breath.
"Daniel wasn't just replacing you."
"He had orders."
"To kill Sophie."
Ethan froze.
"Why?"
"Because Sophie was the only person who could identify him."
Ethan looked at Anna.
"You killed him."
"Yes."
"Then why did you disappear?"
"Because Celeste blamed you."
"Why?"
"Because she wanted you to believe you had killed him."
Ethan looked at Celeste.
"You manipulated my memories."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I needed you broken."
"Why?"
Celeste's eyes filled with tears.
"Because broken men are easier to control."
Ethan stepped toward her.
"You destroyed my life."
"I know."
"You destroyed Anna's life."
"I know."
"You destroyed Richard's."
"I know."
"You almost killed Sophie."
Celeste shook her head.
"No."
Ethan stopped.
"I never wanted Sophie dead."
"Then why was her name in the ledger?"
"Because the ledger was written by someone else."
"Who?"
Celeste looked at Anna.
"Her."
Ethan turned.
Anna's face went white.
"No."
Celeste smiled.
"Tell him."
Ethan stared at Anna.
"Did you write the second ledger?"
Anna was silent.
"Anna."
Finally, she nodded.
"Yes."
Ethan's heart broke.
"You wrote Sophie’s name."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"To protect her."
"How does putting my daughter's name on a death list protect her?"
Anna's voice trembled.
"Because it wasn't a death list."
Ethan looked at Richard.
Then Celeste.
"Then what was it?"
Anna whispered:
"A list of people who needed to disappear."
Ethan frowned.
"Disappear?"
"From the network."
"Why?"
"Because Celeste had access to every person on it."
"If they stayed, she could control them."
"So you made them disappear."
"Yes."
"Without telling me."
"Because you couldn't be trusted."
Ethan stepped back.
"Why?"
Anna began crying.
"Because three years ago, you joined Celeste."
The words struck him harder than any weapon.
"No."
"You did."
"I would never."
"You did."
Anna pulled a photograph from her coat.
She handed it to him.
Ethan looked.
The image showed him sitting across a table from Celeste.
A glass of whiskey between them.
The second ledger open on the table.
And Ethan was signing a document.
His signature.
Real.
Not forged.
Ethan's hands trembled.
"When?"
"Three years ago."
"What did I sign?"
"A transfer."
"Of what?"
"Your company."
Ethan stared.
"To Celeste."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because she threatened Sophie."
Ethan's face went pale.
"So I betrayed everyone to save my daughter."
Anna nodded.
"And then?"
"You discovered the truth."
"What truth?"
"That Celeste intended to kill everyone anyway."
Ethan closed his eyes.
"And that's when you erased my memory."
Anna shook her head.
"No."
"Then who?"
Richard spoke.
"I did."
Ethan looked at him.
"You?"
Richard nodded.
"You were going to kill Celeste."
"And?"
"You were going to expose the network."
"That sounds good."
"It wasn't."
"Why?"
"Because the network had nuclear-level secrets."
Ethan stared.
"What?"
Richard continued.
"Your father had information capable of destroying governments."
"That information was in the second ledger."
"Not all of it."
"Where is the rest?"
Richard pointed at the floor.
"Under us."
Ethan looked down.
The lighthouse trembled as a wave struck the rocks below.
Anna whispered:
"The real archive is beneath this lighthouse."
Ethan stared.
"The ledger is only an index."
"An index to what?"
"Everything."
Celeste spoke quietly.
"Bank accounts."
"Names."
"Evidence."
"Recordings."
"Government secrets."
"Everything your father collected for thirty years."
Ethan finally understood.
"That's why everyone wants it."
"Yes."
"That's why Anna disappeared."
"Yes."
"That's why my father died."
"Yes."
"And that's why you wanted me."
Celeste nodded.
"I needed the archive."
"But why didn't you simply kill me?"
Celeste looked at him.
"Because the archive opens only with your biometric identity."
Ethan's eyes widened.
"My fingerprints."
"Your fingerprints."
"My voice."
"Your voice."
"My face."
"Your face."
Ethan stared at her.
"So Daniel..."
"Could imitate you."
"But he couldn't open the archive."
"Correct."
Richard added:
"Only the real Ethan could."
Ethan looked at Anna.
"And you knew."
"Yes."
"That's why you kept me alive."
"Yes."
"That's why everyone kept fighting over me."
"Yes."
Ethan laughed bitterly.
"All these years..."
He looked at Celeste.
"You never wanted my company."
"No."
"You wanted the archive."
"Yes."
He looked at Anna.
"You never wanted me dead."
"No."
"You needed me alive."
"Yes."
He looked at Richard.
"You hated me because you thought I killed your father."
"Yes."
"And now?"
Richard shook his head.
"Now I know Celeste killed him."
Celeste looked at Richard.
"I didn't."
Richard stepped closer.
"You ordered it."
"No."
"You gave the order."
"I gave an order to scare him."
"And he died."
"I didn't know."
Richard laughed.
"You always say that."
Ethan watched them.
Then he noticed something.
A tiny red light.
Behind the lighthouse mirror.
A camera.
Someone was recording them.
He pointed.
"Who installed that?"
Everyone looked.
Anna's face changed.
"Nobody."
The camera lens moved.
Automatically.
Then a speaker crackled.
A voice came through.
"Thank you."
Ethan froze.
The voice was familiar.
Too familiar.
His own.
"You have finally brought everyone together."
The room went silent.
The voice continued.
"Now I don't have to find you separately."
Ethan stared at the camera.
"Daniel?"
A laugh.
"Close."
Celeste suddenly grabbed Richard.
Anna stepped backward.
Ethan raised his weapon.
"Show yourself."
The speaker crackled again.
"You still don't understand."
The voice became clearer.
"There was never one Daniel."
Ethan's blood ran cold.
"There were three."
Anna whispered:
"No."
The door behind them slammed shut.
Locks clicked.
One.
Two.
Three.
Celeste looked toward the exit.
"We're trapped."
Ethan stared at the camera.
"Who are you?"
The voice answered:
"The man your father trained to become you."
Ethan's heart stopped.
"The man Anna betrayed."
Anna covered her mouth.
"The man Celeste thought she controlled."
Celeste stepped backward.
"And the man Richard was ordered to kill."
Richard went pale.
Ethan whispered:
"Daniel."
The voice laughed.
"My name isn't Daniel."
A pause.
Then:
"My name is Ethan Carter."
The lights went out.
A scream echoed through the lighthouse.
And when the emergency lights came on—
Celeste was gone.
Richard was bleeding.
Anna was on her knees.
And Sophie—
who Ethan had believed was safe—
was standing alone beside the locked door.
Holding a gun.
Ethan stared at his daughter.
"Sophie?"
The little girl looked up.
Her face was covered in tears.
Then she whispered:
"I'm sorry, Daddy."
The gun slipped from her hand.
Behind her, the door slowly opened.
A man stepped into the room.
He had Ethan's face.
Exactly.
He smiled.
May you like
And said:
"Hello, brother."
